Daily Meditation: Monday, July 5, 2004

Misfortune - why the Misfortune of some gives happiness to others

07/05/2004

People supposedly pity those who are suffering, but they always manage to benefit from their misfortunes. A businessman is going bankrupt? Very well, we will take over his clientele. Two countries have declared war? Wonderful, we will sell arms to both of them, and so on. It is plain to see that both the individual and collective lives of human beings are filled with this kind of calculation. If more people were genuinely concerned with the well-being of their fellow human beings, how many improvements there would be! Instead, they are content simply to take note of the suffering and to say, ‘How is it possible? Why do such things happen? How awful!' And this does not prevent them from carrying on with their business at the expense of others, if they can. Yes, as the saying goes, one man's joy is another man's sorrow. This is why evil still has plenty to keep it busy and happy here on earth.